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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740276">The Promise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jomarchinthedark/pseuds/jomarchinthedark'>jomarchinthedark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:27:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jomarchinthedark/pseuds/jomarchinthedark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a heartbreak, Amy promisses herself to not fall in love again, but things change when she transfer to the 99 Coffee Shop.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jake Peralta &amp; Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi guys! English is not my first language, so the grammar is far from great, but I hope you like it :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amy Santiago can’t fall in love. That’s the promise she made to herself. </p><p>When she started working at the Two Daughters Cafe, everything was going great - okay, not so great, because that’s not her dream job and the customers can be a real pain in the ass sometimes - but eventually she found herself enjoying the work. Mostly she likes learning more about coffee and making the drinks starts to feel very calming. It’s a new challenge and she’s ready to be the best. </p><p>The daily routine becomes more peaceful. Everything that was hard in the beginning, starts to get easier, but something unexpected happens: she’s got a crush on her co-worker Josh, who’s always helping with everything. He’s like a male version of her, but cooler and how is she supposed to deal with that? Whenever Amy needs, he appears with the perfect solution. </p><p>As weeks pass by, Amy tries hard to repress the feeling. She’s not the type of girl who gets distracted by a guy, yet everything seems like a reminder of what’s happening.</p><p>.</p><p>When Kylie starts talking endlessly about this new club in Brooklyn, it sound like the perfect opportunity to forget this problem. The club is full of people who looks like they just got out of a indie magazine photoshoot, which is kind of uncomfortable for a dork/nerd, but the important part the huge amount of alcohol waiting for them, and by the middle of the night none of this people will matter.</p><p>What she doesn’t expect is to lose her friend in the dance floor and it takes about thirty minutes looking out for a blond woman with a peacock pattern dress - that shout be easy to find - and when she finally sees the sparkly dress, Kylie is there kissing Josh. Yes, you read that right. JOSH. Her co-worker. If you think things couldn’t get more awkward, he screams “I can’t believe you’re here! Have I ever told you that you’re like a little sister to me?”.</p><p>So… that’s the day Amy made that promise. Never going to fall in love again. </p><p>.</p><p>Weeks later and they are officially a couple. Kylie can’t stop talking about him and Josh can’t stop talking about her. It’s like a torture all the damn time, so she transfer to the other coffee shop the owner has.</p><p>The 99 Coffee is closer to her place, has a smaller team and nosy customers - they are very curious about her life in general, but Amy likes to keep things professional and doesn’t say much. </p><p>Rosa is scary, but her coffee is perfect. Charles is clumsy and is obsessed with Jake in a platonic way. Scully and Hitchcock are always in the bathroom - either to sleep, hide from work or you know… take a dump. Jake is like a child, but the clients love him, he’s the king of receiving compliments, makes everyone laugh, but Amy can’t stand him. </p><p>- Polianna, this is not the church, you need to chill a little bit.<br/>
- I’m sorry if you can’t stand professionalism. </p><p>That’s their first interaction and they keep going like a ball at the tennis court. Every phrase that comes out from Amy’s mouth is like a opportunity for him. It’s like a rubix cube and Jake’s ready to play with it. </p><p>At the weekends the team goes to Shaw’s bar to celebrate… well… surviving another day. After Amy completes one month at the 99, she finally accepts their invitation. The bar is full of people, but everything feels comfortable, from the wood tables, to the old man singing ‘I Will Survive’ alone next to the pool table. Rosa manages to hook up with some girl after 20 minutes there, leaving her alone with Jake and Charles. </p><p>- The first time I saw you two together I heard wedding bells.<br/>
- I think it was the sound of funeral bells. Is there such a thing? Funeral bells? Because it felt like that when I met him. - Jake gasps, pretending to be shocked.<br/>
- Come on, Santiago. Spending so much time with me is like a gift. Soon or later you’ll realise. - she chuckles and rolls her eyes. </p><p>For a long time her job was a form to escape what happened with Kylie and Josh. She would get distracted enough to not remember, partly because of the team, but mostly it was Jake always annoying her. So when they were at Shaw’s she realises for the first time she was happy. Truly happy. </p><p>Later Charles decides to go home, so Amy and Jake stay there drinking and blaming that fact to the low beer price. She’s a little nervous, but starts to get more relaxed as they remember the weirdest customer names. At the Two Daughter’s she prepared a White Mocha Coffee to a guy named Asshule and didn’t have the guts to call him by name. He starts talking about the woman named Taller, “she was very short, by the way”, he says, making her laugh. </p><p>Everything seems great, until he finally shoots:<br/>
- What happened to make you go to the 99?</p><p>Since her arrival at the 99, that’s something she always avoided answering. It’s okay to fall for the wrong guy, but seeing her best friend in a almost perfect relationship with him it was a lot to take. </p><p>Amy’s very drunk, so she is completely honest. Tells him every detail, from the peacock pattern of Kylie’s dress to the feeling of humiliation that followed her everyday until her transfer. His eyes is glued to hers as the words are spoken. Noises around them seems to disappear as she talks. Something changed that moment. Now, Josh is like a blurry memory to her. </p><p>The next day, she begs for him to not say anything and he asks:<br/>
- Do you still like him?<br/>
- No. </p><p>There’s no trepidation in that answer, because it’s true. When she looks back, everything sound stupid. It felt like happened years before.</p><p>.</p><p>That same week, she tries to make a new beverage and Jake takes a sip so Amy screams:<br/>
- Don’t put your mouth there. It’s not ready.<br/>
- Title of your sex tape. </p><p>Their dynamic is just like that, a little bit of banter, a huge amount of sexual tension and a show that everyone loves to watch. </p><p>One day, Paul, a 50 year old customer who goes there everyday, tells them how he met his wife.<br/>
- We were just like that, you know? Now I can’t see myself without her. Don’t waste your time, kids. Get together soon.</p><p>Jake calls her ‘Ames” after she breaks a plate and she can’t help but smile. She freak out: “OH MY GOD, I FUCKING LIKE HIM”. And it’s not like Josh, it’s like a hundred butterflies are living inside her stomach. Everything seems lifeless when he’s not around. A slap in her face couldn’t hit harder than that. </p><p>.</p><p>The team goes to Shaw’s again on the weekend and Amy is apprehensive of getting drunk and saying something stupid, but she goes anyway. They all sit in the corner, the only place left. Charles starts talking about his date with Genevieve, a woman he met at a weird place he buys food. He leaves first this time, leaving Rosa alone with Jake and Amy.<br/>
- So, when are you two finally gonna do this thing?<br/>
- Wh- I can’t- WHAT? - Amy reply with a weird voice.<br/>
- You know… bone. - Rosa continues<br/>
- I don’t think Santiago know what sex is.<br/>
- Shut up, Peralta.<br/>
- Just think about it. - and just like that, Rosa leaves without further explanation.</p><p>What is the number one solution when everything seems awkward? Get drunk. Really drunk. So they do it. Everything is funnier at that point and they manage to avoid the Rosa situation until they’re leaving.</p><p>- You know we can’t avoid this subject forever.<br/>
- What happened to you, Peralta? You sound like a grown up. </p><p>She can’t look into his eyes. It’s too much. Her heart is beating so fast. </p><p>“I CAN’T FALL IN LOVE. I CAN’T FALL IN LOVE… SHIT. I’M SO IN LOVE WITH HIM, IT’S STUPID”</p><p>Someone pass by and tells them what adorable couple they are. It’s 4am, who the hell is walking down the street and paying attention to them? </p><p>Suddenly, he touches her face, so gently. His eyes are are studying every part of her face. Starts with her eyes, then her upturned nose, her flushed cheeks and finally her mouth.<br/>
Aren’t you gonna kiss me? - and he does.</p><p>His tongue tastes like the beer they have been drinking before. And it’s great. It’s like she’s swimming in his mouth, a perfect dance between their tongues. For the first time in her life, she forgets about everything else. It’s just about now. He presses Amy against the wall and her fingers travels along his neck so lightly, making him shiver.</p><p>She lets out a little moan, and now she can feels his heart beating just as fast as hers. His hands grabs her ass in and presses her a little more against the wall. Every little movement is like torture. </p><p>- I hope that you know that I really like you and I wanna be with you. - he whispers.<br/>
- Me too… - she smiles. </p><p>The promise is officially broken.<br/>
Something new starts there. Something amazing.</p>
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